It's almost that time of year again—snow is falling, turkey day is fast …

(Very) Odds and Ends

There is a mostly harmless little planet in a backwater corner of the galaxy where the primitive inhabitants, descendants of arboreal apes, are still enamored with simple gadgets like digital watches. They, unfortunately, do not have access to the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, but they have created the next best thing: Wikipedia.

OpenMoko's new WikiReader, a handheld touchscreen device that stores the text of several million Wikipedia entries, lets you carry the vast sum of human (crowd-sourced) knowledge in your pocket. The energy-friendly device can run for roughly a year of regular use on only two AAA batteries. It has an intuitive user interface with an onscreen keyboard and search, history, and random entry buttons. In terms of basic usefulness, it's second only to a towel. It even has an entry about Vogon poetry.

Screaming "PWNED!" across the room as you blast your buddy into cosmic roadkill is a good time, of course, but wouldn't you have even more fun with a big felt pennant that you could (literally) rub your buddy's nose into?

That's the idea between the name-says-it-all PWNED pennant, a purple felt novelty that certain to make you the life or the LAN party.

Business cards are literally a dime a dozen. Numerous online printers offer full-color, two-sided cards on a decent weight stock for about a penny each in significant quantities. If you're looking for something to really stand out in the crowd—with bonus copious geek cred—then you'll want metal business cards.

Metal cards can be laser-engraved and die-cut with practically any shape and design. They'll definitely stand out, and are much less likely to get tossed by the receiver. Bonus: you can use them, as Steve Wozniak does, to cut your steak dinner when flying first class (since carrying knives on a plane is a major no-no).

You can order some as gift for the geek in your life, either by having an etched version of an existing card made, or by commissioning a custom design. Even a set of metal calling cards, complete with Google Voice number and Twitter username set in a tasteful sans serif typeface, would make a classy gift for the holidays.

Fair use has a posse—are you part of it? Joining the Electronic Frontier Foundation is a good way to support the Internet's "good guys," but it's not the only way. EFF also offers some swagalicious merchandise for those who want to show their support more visibly.

There's the "Bill of Rights" card, the lapel pin, and the hat, but we're partial to the sticker pack. Where else are you going to get your "RIP DRM LOL" stickers?

Combining a do-it-yourself attitude with neuroscience and electronics, the Brain Machine Kit promises to let you "hack your brain!" Essentially, it's a sound-and-light machine that you build from a kit, mount in a pair of glasses, and use to "enjoy the hallucinations as you drift into deep meditation, ponder your inner world, and then come out after the 14-minute program feeling fabulous."

From the crazy minds at MAKE magazine, this could make you the hit of geek parties (if it doesn't blind you first).